Subgrade planer



April 21, 1925. 1,534,046

G. E. WEBB SUBGRADE PLANER Filed Jan- 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gun April 21. 1925. 1,534,046

G. E. WEBB SUBGHADE PLANER Filed Jay. 5, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet r?) "-7 jnuenkw fiaagef 71/5215 74 6 5166615" April 21, 1925. 1,534,046

G. E. WEBB SUBGRADE PLANER File Jan. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1&8.

D maze-$5:

April 21, 1925.

G. E. WEBB SUBGRADE PLANER File Jan. 6, 191232 4 Sheets-$heet 4 4 was W U m JFHWHMWM J re t M M A w mm 3 mal operation of any Patented Apr. 21, 1925'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WEBB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO KOEHBIZNG COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION.

SUBGBADE Purina.

Application filed January 6, 192,2. Serial Io. $27,423.

1 '0 all whom it may concern;

Be it=known that ,I, GEORGE E. Vans,

citizen of theUnitcd States, residing at.

lllilwaukee, in, the county' of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suhgrade Planers, of which the following is a specification; 1

The present invention relates to'a device for planing and finishing the subgrade of a road, pavement or the like, preparatory to depositing the concrete or other road building material upon the sub ade.

In-the building of roa s under present day methods a ,portable self-propelled road building machine is ordinarily employed formixing the ingredients and depositing them upon the subgrade, the machine being adapted to travel over the subgrade as the building of the road progresses. The sur face of the sub'rade as it is originally formed is quite requently' cut up and disturbed by the necessary transportation of material from the source of supply to the road building machine, and the subgrade,

planer of the present invention is adapted to be moved over the subgrade to remove any disturbances or unevenness from the surface thereof just before the concrete or road building material is deposited in position.

The subgrade laner can operatively associated with t e road buildingm-achine so as to be pro elledor advanced thereby as the road buil ing progresses, and the construction of the planer is such that it (1008 not interfere in any manner with the notof the parts of the road building machine.

Two of many possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the rear end of a conventional concrete paving machine, showing the subgrade planer as ops eratively associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the subgrade planer and ragmentary portions of the rear multiplane tractors upon which the paving machine is mounted.

Figure 3 is a view of one end of the dei'ice illustrating more clearly the means for adi'usting the elevation of the scrapers.

igure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the rear end of a conventional concrete .of the paving machine being shown in a diagrammatic manner for the urpose of illustrating the manner of attaching the device of. the invention to the paver.

Figurefi is an enlarged transverse sectiona or laner of Figure 5.

igure 7 is a rear view ofthe modified form of subgrade. finisher.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail view of a. portion of the forward scraper and the scarifyin teeth which are associated there'- with' In t e modified construction.

Oorrespondin and like parts are referred to in the allowing descri tion and illustrated in all of the views of t e drawings by like reference characters.

The subgrade planer or finisher of the present invention is adapted to be used in association with a r admaking machine and; for the purpose of i lustration, it is shown on the drawings as adapted to be arranged at either the front or the near'end of a conventional paving machine so that it is shoved or pushed along the subgrade as the paving operation Iprogresses and the pave'r is advanced. hese pavers.;as is well known in the art, comprise a power driven concrete mixer and means for charging thenecessary ingredients into the mixer and also means for depositing the mixed concrete in proper position upon the subgrade.- The paver is designated as a unit by the. reference character A and only fragmentary portions thereof are shown. The usual. loading skip 1 is shown by Fi re 1 in a lowered position, and the on less tread or multiplane tractors which are adapted to be driven by the power unit of the paving machine so that the said machine is self-propelled are indicated at 2. The 'subgrade planer is indicated as a unit by the reference character B and is shown as located adjacent either the front end or the rear end of the paver A so as to be shoved or pushed along by the pin-er as the said paver isadvanrcd. The. planer B is adapted to be mounted upon the usual view through the subgrade finisher The frame is thus mounted road form rails .C which are Set to the grade of'the road and serve to hold'the Seraping or seariiying elements of the planer at the proper elevation.

Hpe'ilieally deswibing the enihodimentof the invention illustrated by Figures 11,0 3 of the drawings, the frame of the subgrade planer B extends transversely across the subrade of the road and may be formedin an guitable manner, being indicated as fliblfh cated in a conventional manner from ordinary structural steel units. The ends of the frame are formed with extensions Sand this arrangement is adxfantageous in that it prfl- \ell'ecti re operation under different conditionsvides a clearance space for the loading ski p 1 of the pave-r between the said'eiitensions.

The ends of the frame are movablysupported by flanged rollers 4 and slippers or slidin" shoes 5 which engage the roadtrails C and are adapted to travel thereon. In the specific construction illustrated, each of the extensions 3 of the frame rnrries a flanged wheel or roller l and the opposite corner of the frame is ro videdwith one of the sliding shoes' 5; v n order to hold the frame against lateraldisplaeement, a horizontally' disposed roller 6 is-arranged at each end thereof, saidlr'ollerheing arranged to engage the inner faces of the road rails.- so that it can move 'freel along the road rails although 'it is he] against lateral displacement thereon.

Mounted upon the two ends of the frame are the dia onalscrapers 7 which extend forwardly a mg the end extensions 3 and converge rearward'ly toward the middle of the machi e and the road The middle portiono the subgr'ader frame is provided with a pair of shorter scrapers 8 which are reversely inclined and form 'a V with the oint thereof facing forwardly at substantially the middle portion of theframe. The rear ends of the longer scrapers 7 extend lll yon-d the ends of the shorter hampers 8 in a spaced relation theretoso that any material which is not deposi d in depressions will be left behind the planer in two rows. This material can be removed or otherwise han dled in'the most expedient manner. The 0 rating edges of the scrapers are preferaily inelined or curved forwardly as inrlir'ated quite clearly by Figures '2 and 3' of the drawings, so that they will act in an ell'e rtit'e manner upon the surface of the uhgrade to remove any unevenness thereof, tho portions of the subgrade wliich are above the proper'olevation being scraped or planed away and the loose material do Eosited in the depressions or left in rows beind the device.

Means is preferably provided for raising and lowering the scraper or afrarifying elements so that they can be set at difi'erent ele rations. For this purpose, as is indicated by Fi mre 3, the 'fian ed rollers} may he carrier hy arms 9 whie I are pivoted zitlfi to the ends of the frame, the swinging ends of the arms; being engaged bynerews l l whie'h are carried by the frahze of the device The screws are shown as irovided with suitable handler; 12 and it will he obviou that by an appropriate manipulation of these screw:-:, the forward end of the frame can be raised or lowered to set the corresponding ends of. the'serapers of sr-arifyers at di'flerehte-le' vations. A ninety of adjustmentjis thus possihle to adapt the device for the most of service. V V 4' o T he rear edge of the frame, orthat edgeot the frame which is adjacent the paving nia chine is rovided with a series of zontally disposed rollers 13 which lareziri 7 ranged in such a manner as, to be enga ed by a thrust or bumper bar 14 which ilicari ricd by the front end of the pavr... bar 14 is secured to the paver in some suitable manner as by means of the brace lfi, and is of a sufiicient length to engage a rality of b.; rollers 13 at one timeg e ends of the thrust bar or bumper 14mm; preferably curved, res indicated atj'MRgo, that the ba canv trayel laterally on the r-0,11 ers'13. As the paver is advanced, the thrust 05 bar or bumper 14, acts u n the subgliade planer or finishing deviceto push the aame along upon the road rails C, and the relation between the paving machine and 'suhgrade planer is such that the paving machine gun be shifted laterally relative to the sub ade planer and positioned uponither si e'bf the suhgrade or at the center thereof, ire-may be necessary to "get the most effective results The construction of the frame is such new 10.? provide a clearance, space between the extensions 3 at the ends thereof so thatkthie is no interference with the ynormalopc'r'aj tion of the loading skip 1 of the paverf,1gnu

the planer is advanced with the pavin 1w chine so as to finallyscrape and meet surface of the subgrade' and plaicje it iji proper condition to receive the concrtefior road building material, I L The bum r bar 14 may.- be secured to the frame, of t 1e paver in any suitable manner and, as shownby Fi re 2, it has a pin and slot connection 15' with the braces 15 so that it is susceptible of being shifted longitudinally. It may either be tightly elamged in an adjusted position or r'mitted to are a loose engagement with t e,braoes 15 so that a it can shift freely hack and forth. This manner of mounting the bumper bar enables it to be made sufficiently long to engage quite a number of the rollers 13 and the frame is thereby maintained in a proper Jeition substantially normal to the road lid as it is propelled along the road rails, and there is little or no tendency for the frame to be pushed into an angular or Q meral land the bucket b skewed osition. V

A nio ified form of the invention is illustrated by Fi res 4 to 8 of the drawings. This form 0 the subgrade planer is associated with the opposite end of the paver. In Figure 4 the rear end of the paver is shown in a fragmentary manner, and the distributing means is of the boom and bucket type, the boom .being designated by'the nuthe numeral 2'. The multiplane tractors 0 the paver are indicated at 2. and the axle which connects the tractors is indicated at2". v

The modified form of subgrade finisher} which, as in the previous instance, is desi nated as a unit by the reference character is operatively associated with the paver so as to be pro elied or advanced thereby, being shownas aving a connection with the axle 2" and being located adjacent'the' trac- "tors 2. In this position the subgrade finisher is located between the inner-most position of the distributin bucket 2 and the tractors 2 so that it does not interfere in any manner with the movements of the bucket along the boom or prevent the mixed concrete batches from being de osited upon the sub rade at any int in t e travel of the bucfiet upon the com.

The frame of this form of subgrade finisher includes spaced and substantially parallel transverse beams 21 and 22 which are connected at intervalsin their length by the cross piece's23. The ends of the; frame are each rovided with a air of flanged rollers 24 w ich'are adapted to travel'f upon the usual road rails or forms C. Horizontally disposed rollers 24' are also shown as arranged at the ends of the frame for engagement with the road rails C to assist in holding the frame against lateral displacement. A transversely extending scraper 25 is securedfto the cross' pieces 23 ataflpoint'soniewhat to "the rear of the front transverse beam 21, and a channel bar 25 is shown-as associated"with the horizontally disposed and rearwardy extending upper edge portion of the scraper to stiffen and reinforce the same. This scraper 25 extends downwardly so as to engage the surface of the 'subgrade and is forwardly inclined so that it can act effectively .upon any elevations of the sub grade to plane or cut the same away, lsso ciated with the front scraper 25 is a series of teeth 25, said teeth being shdwn as secured thereto and extandin downwardly along the front thereof. T e purpose of these teeth is. to assist in breaking up or rootin up the hard spots in the surface of the su )grade so that the device will operate effectively to remove any high pluces in the subgrade. The loosened earth may' bedeposited inlow places so as to fill the same, or, if it accumulates in sufficient quantities grade surface. scraper 27 is shown as formed in a plurality the front scraper in the manner indicated. The rear beam 22 ,of the frame is rovrdcd with' a rear scraper 27 which is s own as disposed in a substantially vertical position.

This scraper pro]ects downwardly into engagement with the surface of the subgrade smooth'out the uneven places. Any raised points which may not have been all rcmoved'by the front scraper will he planed away by the rear scraper and the loose 'earth accumulating in front of the roar scraper will be deposited in the low pla s so as to fill in the same. If an excessive quantity of loose earth should accumulate in front of the rear scraper, it would pass over the same, in which event it would have to be manually removed from the subgradc, although this is a contingency which would not ordinarily happen if the preliminary work of grading had been properly done. Under some conditions it might be necessary for a workman to shovel some loose earth between the two scrapers in order to provide sufiicient material for filling in the dc ressions.

he connection between the subgrade finisher and the paving machine is such that it is possible to alter the relative position of the two devices and position the paving machine at either side of the center of the road, as may be necessary to obtain the most effective results. A yoke member 28 is slidably associated with the axle 2 of the traction devices 2 of the pavcr and carries a wheel 29 which is adapted to travel back and forth upon the axle in much themanncr of a; trolley. The yoke 28 is connected by a pair of rearwardlydiverging draw bars 30 to'the frame of the subgrade finisher. The con 'and cooperates with the front scraper to nection is such that the finisher is pulled along after the paver and propelled thereby, although the paver can be shifted laterally with respect to the finishing machine and positioned upon one side of the road or the other side, as may he desired. The subgriide is finished and smoothed aft r the paver has passed over the same so that it is put in proper condition to receive the con- Crete just before the concrete is deposited thereon, and this is accomplished without interfering in any manner with the functiming of any part of the paver.

- As is indicated more clearly by Figure 8, both the front and rear scrapers may be formed so that they'd-an be adjusted for different contours 'or configurations of the sub- As indicated, the rear of sections which are adjustably secured to the rear beam 22 by fastening elements 31. By properly adjusting the scraper sections, the scrapers can be positio'ncdat different elevations and also set for the desired contour of the subgrade surface.

While I have described two' particular one bodimcnts of the invention, it will be under stood that numerous modifications and changes can be made in'the details of construction without-departing from the spirit of the invention and all within the scope of the clains.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettern Patent, is:

1. In combination, atportabhroad building machine, a movably mounted euhgrade finisher extending over the suhgrade and dismnnected from the road building machine, and a pusher element carried by the road building machine and adapted to engage the finisher at a point in the length thereof to shove the finisher forward as the road building machine is advanced.

2. The combinationwith a portable road building machine, and the usual road rails of a finisher disconnected. from the road building machine and extending across the snhgrade and mounted to travel uponthc road rail, means coo ,lfltlflfl .with the road rails to hold the finisliiir auainnt lateral dieplaccment. and apuehcr bar carrier] by the oad building machine and adapted to en gage an intermediate point of the finisher to advance the same along theiroad rails.

H. The combination with a portable road building machine, a subgrade finisher n ounted 'to move over the subgradc, means for holding the subgrade finisher against lateral displacement; ii transveree series of anti-friction clemcntaupon the finisher and a pusher harcarried by the road building machine and en agi the anti-friction lemanta to move, t finisher asthe road building machine is advanced, building machine latrallyfe'ith respect to the finisher.

4, The combination with a paving ma chine having a loading ship it one end thereof, of a subgrade ifiniqner including a. frame arranged at the end of the paver having the loading skip, the said frame being constructed to provide a clearance is ace for the loading skip, and subgrade finis ling elements carried by the frame.

5. The ombination with a road building lllfl llLflti having an operating member projc ,-ting from one end thereof, and a subgrudc finisher frame cxtendlng across the sub l'ude and arranged adjacent the said emf of the road building machine, said frame having extensions at opposite ends thereof which are arranged laterally beyond the zone of operation of the projecting mam jetting from one end thereof, of n snbgrn l" finisher frame extending across the eubgru le adjacent the said end of the road huildinc machine and having longitudinal extensions at the ends thereof which are laterally spaced from the zone of operation of the projtmting member of the road building machine and define a clearance space for the said member, between the name, nnbgrad'e finishing elements carried by the, frame and its extensions, and means whu'eby the frame is advanced with the road building machine. 7. A subgrade finishing device includin" a frame mounted to travel upon the uena road rails, and a scraper carried by the frame, said scraper being adjustable for different contours of subgrade surface.

8. A eubgrade finishing device including a frame mounted to travel over the subgrade, and a pair of siaced scraping elements carried by the ram an in a position transverse to the direction'of movement the f whereby material; ac cumulating between the scrapers willbe (1epoeited in the hollows or depressions ofthe road bed.

l). A subgrade finishing device including a frame mounted to travel over the Hubgrade, :1 pair of spaced scraping elements carrird bythe frame and the rear scraping element being arranged in a position transverse totthe direction of movement of the frame; and scarifying teeth associated with the forward scraping element whereby elevations will be cut away by the forward scraper and the loose material dapositedin the iollows by the rear scraper.

10. A subgradie finishing machine includ ing a frame mounted to travel over the sub grade, 11 pair of spaced scrapin elements carried by the frame and arrang in a posiarranged tion transverse to the direction of Y thereof; the forward scraper being inclined so that loose material will pass over the lame and accumulate in the ace between the scraping posited II] t elements.

11. A subgr'ade finishing machine including a frame mounted to travel over the subgrade, a pair of spaced scraping elements carried by the frame and arranged in a position transverse to the direction of movement thereof, the forward scraper being inclined so that loose material will pane over the name and nccumtdate inthe space between the scra in elementi-i Where it will be deposited in the iiollows by the rear scrap ing elements, and scarifying means am ciated with the front scraper.

elements where it will be de- 12. I'm-combination, a portable road buiidmg machine, a movably mounted subgrade finisher extending over the subgrade and disconnected from the road building machine, and a pusher element adjustably mounted upon the road building machine and adapted to engage the finisher at different points in the length thereof to ad- Vance the finisher as the road building machine is moved.

13. The combination with a ortable road building machine, of a move. ly mounted sub ade finisher extending over the subgra e, a transverse pusher bar mounted machine, and means upon the finishing machine for engagement with the pusher bar in any possible position thereof for causing the finisher to advance as the road building machine is advanced. I

In testimony w ereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE E. WEBB.

12. Iii-combination, a portable road building machine, a movably mounted subgrade finisher extending over the suhgrade and disconnected from the road building machine, and a pusher element adjustahly mounted upon the road building machine and adapted to engage the finisher at different points in the length thereof to advance the finisher as the road building machine is moved.

13. The combination with a ortable road building machine, of a move 1y mounted sub ade finisher extending over the subgra e, a transverse pusher bar mounted Cerificate of Correction.

mam:- m Subgrade Planers, eri.=ection as follows: and 11; page 5, line 1, that the said Letters s hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,534,046, g anted April W25, i. the application of George E. Webb, of Milwaukee, Wise m n. for an impro errors appear in the printed Page 4, strike out lines 83 to 130, comprising claims 7, 8, 9, J) for claim 12 read 7, and line 11 for claim 13 r: ad 8; and Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the specification requiring me may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice. Signed and sealed this 31st day of August, A. D. 1926.

[smnl M. J. MOORE,

Uertificaii: of Corrediun.

It is hqreby certified that in Let ers Patent No. 1,534,046, anted April 2!, 39.25

11pm th s application of George E. Webb, of Milwaukee, Wis c nnsin, for an improvemznt m Subgrade Planers, errors ap ar in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4 strike out ines 83 to 130, comprising claims 7 8, 9, i0 and 11; page 5, line 1, for claim 12 read 7', and line 11 for claim 13 rmd 6; and (but the said Ixttcrs Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the Same ma conform to the cord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signe -and sealed this 31st day of August, A. D. 1926.

[sum] M. J. MOORE,

Acting flommiasionar of Patents. 

